If someone is dreadful, I mean REALLY dreadful, you have to tell them.... it's cruel to let them get their hopes up and then have them smashed as soon as they start thinking they can make something of this.... the recent Pop Idol and Pop Star programmes on UK TV have shown this.... many of those who turned up for the auditions couldn't carry a tune in a bucket! To make matters worse, those who COULD sing were often eliminated on grounds of their looks or body shape. This gives the impression that no matter how crap you are, if you look good, you'll get the gig.

There is one guy who regularly travels the festival circuit in the UK with a penny whistle. He plays at sessions, but he only plays with the fast sets. He doesn't play any known tune, he just stands with the crowd, running his fingers up and down this whistle, whilst overblowing and not paying the slightest attention to anyone else. He will bask in any applause as if he'd just played the Albert Hall solo. No-one has ever had the courage to tell him he sucks (*well, he blows really, it being a penny whistle), they just move further away from him. One year, people sort of started to go and get beer as soon as he got the whistle out, or play slow airs and feature solo instruments, so he sort of got the message, didn't stop him though. Consequently, whenever he is seen, the session vanishes, or else he's blocked out of the door. He appears to be alone, and aching to be one of the crowd.

Hedging and stalling will only stir resentment. If you can possibly tell the person that they are not really suited to a musical career, then do so. Sometimes it's just a change of material, instrument or attitude that's needed. Suggest, rather than criticise (Hey, you know what, I bet you'd be really good at ......)but if they get bolshie, then I'm afraid you have to bite the bullet and tell them straight.

LTS